A Slight Mishap
by Muaradia
Summary: "Hey! That isn't why I was shaking my head. I was just worried about you. Don't want to start pining after the big leagues and get our heart broken, now do we?" I patted his head (which I had to tiptoe to reach) and left the elevator feeling like a boss. One-shot.


**A/N: Hi! This is the first ever story I have posted. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it. Leave a comment with anything. I don't really care if it is hate or criticism or praise. As long as I can have proof that some one out there in the world is reading this, it is really more that enough. And once again thank you so much.**

 **Disclaimer: I do** **not** **own any part or whole of The Mortal Instruments series. All credits go to Cassandra Clare.**

Oh my God! Oh my God! I am going to be so late. My new manager is going to hate me. I just know it. Great. I am going to make the best first impression ever. Now he or she is going to think I am lazy, good-for-nothing, loser. Ugh.

I rushed up the front stairs of the gargantuan building and stood in line for the security system. It was always this crowded in the morning as people hurried to get to work on time.

After that gruelling process that practically took half an eternity, I finally made it to the lobby. The elevator doors were closing. I waved frantically at the guy inside to wait for me. My luck changed and the guy took some pity. Thank God.

Wow! That guy is seriously hot. Like hott. With an extra 't' at the end. I never understood that. What about an extra 't' screams sexy?! I digress.

He had a gorgeous, golden tan and tousled blonde hair. His mouth was stretched into an easy smile. His eyes were the weirdest shade. They were hazel but in the light they almost seemed… golden? How was that possible?

I looked up just in time to see him wink at me.

Wait a second.

Did he just _wink_?!

At _me_?

Me, little Clary Fray five feet nothing but a flat iron?

I looked down at myself then at him and shot him an incredulous, wide-eyed look. Was he crazy or playing a prank? Maybe he was playing an extremely cruel prank. God, I hope he wasn't. He flashed me a blinding smile and held out his hand.

"My name is Jace. Nice to meet you."

I took his hand warily. I mean who knows what he was capable of if he winked at me of all people?

"I'm Clary," I said but resisted the urge to ask him if he had actually escaped from an insane asylum.

"I'm not the weird one here. You're beautiful."

I shook my head vehemently at that.

"You _are_. If you can't see that you are blind."

Awwww… that was seriously sweet of the guy. I mean we had just met and he called me beautiful for what was probably the first time in my life. I Had been called pretty before but never _beautiful_.

"Hey! That isn't why I was shaking my head. I was just worried about you. Don't want to start pining after the big leagues and get our heart broken, now do we?"

I patted his head (which I had to tiptoe to reach) and left the elevator feeling like a boss. _Thanks for the boost of self-confidence, dude._

(LINEBREAK)

I made it in time to the whole office flocking what I assumed was the new manager. I jumped up and tried to catch a glimpse of him or her. It was useless.

Cursing my small stature, I resolved to see him or her during the meeting this afternoon.

I wondered how the new manager would be? Would he or she be strict but fair or lazy, incompetent and sexist so much so that your extremely stingy and lethargic company would use up all its efforts to fire you?

If you couldn't tell, my previous manager was an absolute waste-of-space, good-for-nothing, idiot.

My thoughts returned to the incident in the elevator. That was alarmingly out of character for me. Usually I was timid and tried to hide behind my fire red hair and hope people would be too distracted by it to try and strike up a conversation.

What had inspired me to be so bold?

It must have been the guy. Jace, that was his name. Was that his entire name? Seemed to be too short. Maybe it was a nickname. I wondered what the story was behind that. Oddly enough, I wanted to know.

What was I thinking?

He was to good to be true. Winking at me must have been amusing for him. He was probably with some one already and I had just been reading too much into what he had said.

His intentions must have been completely platonic. Best-case scenario he was trying to flatter me. To him I would have just been a random stranger whom he had no plans of meeting ever again. I should just be happy that it wasn't a prank.

Yet my heart rebelled at the thought that our exchange meant nothing to him.

(LINEBREAK)

 ** _Afternoon. Meeting room._**

I entered the meeting room early to make up for being late in the morning. I was extremely curious to see the new manager after hearing all the hype about him. (It was a guy.)

I heard footsteps emitting from outside. I twisted in my seat to see if it was the new manager himself.

It was…Jace?

I didn't know he worked in our company. I was sure that I had never seen him before this morning. Who was he? I had passed him of as an employee of one of the other companies that had their office in the same building as us. I never even fathomed he was here all along.

No, he had to be new.

But I knew no one new was starting today…other than the new manager…

No.

He couldn't be.

Horror slammed into me. Oh my god! I had flirted with the new manager! I had _flirted_ with the new _manager!_ As in the guy he signs my paychecks. He must think I was floozy.

And today morning I was worried that I would create a bad impression if I came late. This was much, much worse.

What should I do? Could I ask to be excused and run away? No, that would be too obvious. I needed an excuse. Maybe I could take one of the water bottles and pour some on myself. No, that would completely ruin my reputation. I was even desperate enough to slide under the desk and hope he didn't see me.

He started towards me. While internally panicking, I did the first thing that came to mind.

I smiled and waved.

Then I realized what a stupid move that was. Now that I had acknowledged his presence in the room, I couldn't even use my last resort; sliding under the table.

Granted it was a very childish move.

I had officially given up all hope of getting out of this meeting room with my dignity unscathed.

"Want to have a cup of coffee sometime?"

Was that it?

Was he going to leave it at that? Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. Wasn't I moping that I would never get to see him again? Here he is giving me proof that his advances were not merely platonic. Would he not bring up what I said at all?

"My heart definitely would break if the big leagues reject me. So what do you say? Since you showed so much concern for the wellbeing of my heart, I figured I'd give it a shot. I would love it if you said yes and gave me the privilege to treat such a _thoughtful_ and _considerate_ person to coffee."

Well.

At least it was over now.

My face was burning red. I had never felt more humiliated in my life. This is what I get for thinking I could get away with trying to be cool. I was _so_ tempted to retreat back into my shell and play shy, timid, push over, Clary but I didn't. I didn't want to be a rug anymore. I made a split second decision to be the Cool Clary.

"Of course you may. But only because you asked so nicely."

 **~Lava.**


End file.
